Experts in the healthcare sector in Nigeria have called on the government and the private sector to create more cancer awareness to change the deplorable health challenge posed by the incidence of cancer to Nigerians.
The calling is coming at a time the world is celebrating World Cancer Day 2019 with the theme ‘I am and I will’- all about your story and your commitment. This calls for personal commitment to help reduce the global burden of cancer, Nigeria inclusive explores.
Ifeoma Okoye a radiologist at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) and founder of Breast Without Spot, said that late presentation of breast, cervical, and other cancers will continue to increase in Nigeria, unless the country do something more proactive than it has been doing in the past.
“The major drivers for the high morbidity are fear, reluctance to accept fee for screening and the unaffordable medical bills associated with late presentation,” she said.
“We urge the public to be cancer aware, know the causes and risk factors so that appropriate precautions can be taken to modify or avoid them. In addition to preventing and reducing the risk of cancer, individuals should refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol, be physically active, and have a balanced diet,” Okoye said.
She stated that fear fuels the wrong perception about cancer and can only be buried when the country can change the narrative through improving early detection, increasing opportunities for free screening, and assisting indigent patients to cope with their medical bills.
These interventions, according to her will improve survival statistics.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), globally, an estimated 9.5 million people worldwide were predicted to die from cancer in 2018, accounting for about 26, 000 cancer deaths a day and that number is predicted to grow.
The international health organisation also estimated that over 100,000 Nigerians are diagnosed with cancer yearly, while about 80,000 die from the disease.
This brings the consequences of the cancer epidemic to 240 Nigerians every day or 10 Nigerians every hour, dying from cancer. It noted that the country’s cancer death ratio of 4 in 5 affected persons is one of the worst in the whole world.
Experts say that the steady rise in cancer cases in Nigerian is an indication of inadequate or ineffective control measures to curtail the disease.
They stated that there must be an urgent need for the government to include cancer treatment under the country’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), so that more people can afford the treatment and go for early screening.
The experts added that government needs to encourage activities through non-governmental agency to promote advocacy, national policy on training of personnel for clinical and self-breast examination, and nationwide screening program (mammography) in order to enhance early detection, control the upward trends to reduce the mortality rate of cancer.
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth and spread of cells. It can affect almost any part of the body. The growths often invade surrounding tissue and can metastasize to distant sites.
Many cancers can be prevented by avoiding exposure to common risk factors, such as tobacco smoke. In addition, a significant proportion of cancers can be cured, by surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, especially if they are detected early.
ANTHONIA OBOKOH
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